Pickleball: Old Sport, New Craze

Ron Harris began playing pickleball on outdoor racquetball courts, and then on basketball and tennis courts taped off to replicate the sport’s dimensions. Ten years later, the Jackson-area retiree can choose from plenty of actual pickleball courts.

“It’s astonishing,” Harris, 75, says of the skyrocketing interest in the sport — both in his Western Tennessee community and nationally.

AARP gets it. This summer, look for free AARP-sponsored pickleball clinics in Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville. They’re modeled after clinics hosted last year in Jackson by AARP and that city’s parks and recreation department.

Harris is a pickleball ambassador for USA Pickleball, the national governing body for the sport. He taught at the Jackson event and encourages those on the fence to give it a try.

“One of my doctor friends told me that every time you hit that ball, you get a little shot of endorphins,” he says. “That’s a positive benefit — especially for older people.”

AARP Tennessee planned the clinics as part of a 2025 statewide focus on healthy living, says State Director Mia McNeil.

“It’s a lot of great exercise, which is wonderful for your heart,” she says. “Your body will thank you.”

Learning and playing the sport also supports brain health and social inclusion, McNeil says. And, she adds, it’s just plain fun.

Harris agrees. He played racquetball for more than 40 years before trying pickleball. When COVID-19 hit, playing on a confined indoor court lost its appeal.

“Pickleball had an answer for that,” he says. The sport gave him a reason to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and meet new people.

It also sent him on the road, traveling to Memphis in search of competitors his age. “We wound up with 100 new friends each in Bartlett, Germantown and Cordova, Tennessee,” he says.

AARP began supporting pickleball on a national level in 2023 through a sponsorship deal with the Association of Pickleball Players. The multiyear agreement included naming rights for the AARP Champions (50+) and AARP Masters (60+) divisions of the annual APP tour, as well as the annual AARP U.S. Champions Cup event, which showcases the top pros 50 and older.

Last year, AARP introduced a dedicated web page at aarp.org/pickleball and launched a national AARP Pickleball Clinic Tour.

Pickleball dates to 1965

Pickleball isn’t new. Friends looking for something different to do with their families on Bainbridge Island — near Seattle — created the game in 1965, according to USA Pickleball. They originally used an old badminton court, table tennis paddles and a perforated plastic ball.

Over time, they refined the equipment and rules. The inclusive, cobbled-together nature of the sport inspired its name. Cofounder Joel Pritchard’s wife, Joan, was a college crew fan. She took inspiration from pickle boats, a term used for boats filled with a mix of non-starter rowers who race for fun.

Pickleball can be played by two or four people. Players volley the ball, aiming to bounce it in certain areas of the 20-by-44-foot court. Typically, the first player or team to reach 11 points wins. If there’s no two-point lead, however, the game continues.

As of March, Tennessee had 294 pickleball locations with 1,276 courts, according to Pickleheads, a website and app that maintains a national court directory and connects players.

John Borner, 82, of Jackson, tried pickleball for the first time at the AARP clinic last year. He’d previously tried tennis and handball but wasn’t a fan.

He figured pickleball would be less vigorous, offering him a chance to add another activity to his regular treadmill workouts. Borner appreciated the age categories used at the clinic.

“Seniors playing with seniors — that’s what I like about it,” Borner says. “I’m not going to try to get out there and play with a youngster running me up and down the court.”

He looks forward to Jackson’s new senior center being completed this year. The facility will include pickleball courts.

Each of AARP’s upcoming clinics in Tennessee will consist of three, hour-long sessions with equipment provided. The first two will focus on new players and beginners. The third will feature drills for more advanced players and open play.

AARP expects room for about 40 players per session. The clinics are free and open to anyone on a first-come, first-served basis.

To register for a clinic, go to aarp.org/tn.

Sarah Hollander, a freelance writer and former daily newspaper reporter in Cleveland, has written for the Bulletin for 16 years.

Also of interest:

• How to Get Started Playing Pickleball
• 7 Exercises to Prevent Pickleball Injuries
• How Pickleball Helped This Player Manage Parkinson's